Record filing unit



April 2, 1963 Filed Feb. 8, 1962 J. L- FULLER ETAL RECORD FILING UNIT 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN NTOR5 JAMes L. UL BY SAMUEL Asrou LoYD LER April 2,1963 J. L. FULLER ETAL RECORD FILING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8,1962 IN ENTORS JAMES L zuLLer-z BY SAMUEL Asrou Lovo ATTYS.

United States Patent Oil-"ice 3,084,007 Patented Apr. 2, 1963 3,084,007REQORD FILING UNiT .lames L. Fuller and Samuel Aston Loyd, Wayneshoro,Va, assignors to Acme Visible Records, Inc., Crozet, 1a., a corporationof Delaware Filed Feb. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 171,838 (Ilaims. (til. 312-197)This invention relates to novel record filing means comprising one ormore superposed circular record files mounted for rotation in ahorizontal plane about a vertical axis and the combination therewith ofone or more radially extending auxiliary desks, whereby one or moreoperators can be seated and work in juxtaposition to the rotary filingunit and have access to the data disposed in the rotary file.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide novelmeans whereby the radially extending desks may be supported at theirinner ends by means associated with and disposed below the rotatabletier or tiers, and in adjustable work positions which are easily movedto any point around the circumference of the filing unit and fixed indesired random location.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention, its details ofconstruction, arrangement of parts and economies thereof will beapparent from a further consideration of the following specification andaccompanying drawings, wherein:

P16. 1 is a plan view of an assembly formed in accordance with thepresent invention, and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof with parts broken away.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail plan view of the cylindrical standdisposed below a rotatable tier of an assembly of the present invention,illustrating the association therewith of a pair of arms extending froma radially associated auxiliary desk.

KG. 4 is a fragmentary view with parts in section taken on the line 44of P10. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view with parts in section taken on theline 5-5 of FIG. 4.

1G. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral it) generally indicatesa horizontally disposed tray divided by means of radial dividers 11 andcircular dividers 12 into a plurality of record filing compartments. itwill be understood that the arrangement of the record filingcompartments on the tier ll) is merely for the purpose of illustration.The tier 1G is mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane about avertical axis 13 which is supported on the fixed cylindrical concentricstand 14 disposed below the rotatable tier ltl. As illustrated in FIG.2, the particular tier in may be composed of a plurality of steppedsections such as 15 and 16.

it will be further understood, although not shown, that a plurality ofsuperposed tiers such as the tier 1d may be employed, and that the axis13 may be composed of a plurality of articulated or concentric sectionswhich permits each superimposed tier to be separately rotated in eitherdirection. It will be further understood, although not shown, thatinstead of being manually rotatable the tiers may be adapted forindividual rotation by electric motor control means with push buttonswhereby each operator seated at the associated auxiliary radiallyextending desks, generally indicated as 17, can individually cause eachtier to be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise or to be stopped at theindividual desk location for access by the operator seated thereat.

It will be further understood, although not shown, that such electricmotor and associated control means may be disposed within the stand 14.It will be further understood that an axial support for the rotatabletiers instead of being pivotally mounted on the base 18, which rests onthe stand 14 as shown in FIG. 2, may extend within the confines of thestand 14-, particularly so when motors and associated driving means areemployed.

The present invention, however, is particularly concerned with meanswhereby each of the auxiliary desks 17 is associated with the rotatabletiers It'll, and particularly the stand 14 therefor, in a manner wherebythe desks 17 may be secured in random position about the filing unit asillustrated in part by FIG. 1. Thus, as will appear from FIG. 1, some ofthe desks 17 may be spaced a considerable angular distance from eachother, whereas others may be disposed in close proximity, and seats 19for the operators may be placed at either side of a desk to suit theoperation.

The desks comprise a top 2% supported at the outer end in a suitablemanner by means of the pedestal unit 2d or by a leg panel, legs, or thelike which may or may not include the drawers 22 as illustrated. Theinner end portion of the desk top 2% is provided with means forseparable engagement with means extending about and carried by the stand14, releasably clamping and supporting said inner end in a desiredrandom location thereabout.

Thus, the stand 14 has fixedly secured thereabout outwardly opensubstantially C-shaped retainer ring means, which as shown for thepurpose of illustration is composed of a pair of spaced parallel rings23, 23 extending beyond the cylindrical surface or stand 14 and thereterminating in flanges 4, 24 which project toward each other and thusprovide a channel, track or keeper for a plurality of slide bars 25. Theslide bars 25 extend normally to the rings 23, 23 and between theflanges 24, 24 of the rings 23, 23 and the cylindrical surface component26 of stand 14.

The rings 23, 23 may actually be structural components in the form ofdiscs and a part of the stand 14, as will be apparent from the detailview of FIG. 4, and in such case the stand portion disposed below theportion as comprises the cylindrical closure portion 27 suitablyfabricated with component portions as indicated.

Although not shown, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat while the present illustrations show separate rings 23, 23 whichare embedded in the stand assembly, these rings 23 and their associatedflanges 24 may be composed of sections, either separate or joinedtogether, forming a substantially C-shaped configuration and eitherseparately supported about the stand 14 or about an axial shaftsupporting the tiers 10, or secured in suitable manner thereabout as forexample to the outer surface of the stand 14 as by means of bolting orwelding.

Secured beneath table tops 2% is a spaced pair of parallel arms 28, 28to each of which one leg 29 of a bracket is secured in a suitable manneras at St The opposed leg 31 of each bracket extends outwardly therefromat an obtuse angle. This angular bracket is adapted for adjustableassociation with arm 28 by means of an elongated slot 32 in leg 29through which bolt 30 passes. Each leg 31 of the angular brackets hasassociated therewith in a fixed manner, as by welding at 33, asubstantially U-shaped member 34, the arms of which are spaced so as toembrace the spaced rings 23, 23.

Each bracket leg 31 and its contiguous web of channel 34 is formed withone or more apertures as at 35 through which cap screws 36 extend andare received in threaded openings 37 in clamp bars 25.

It will thus be seen that when a fixed number of desks are employed inassociation with one rotary file unit, these desks may be adjustablylocated in a fixed and desired position by means of the cap screws 36.By loosening the latter the desks can be relocated and by tighteningthem the desks are fixed in a new location and the flanges 24frictionally secured between the clamp bars 25 and the web of a channelmember 34. In a similar manner, any desired number of desks consistentwith their width, desired operator spacing and circumference of therotatable unit 10, may be associated with or disassociated from thestand 14.

The arms 28, 28 extending from desk top 20 are generally paralleltherewith but may be endwise offset 50 that they terminate in thecomponent arm portions 28" through the intermediate legs 28', asillustrated in FIG. 2,

to meet the structural requirements of the particular rotatable file andsupporting stand assembly.

It will thus be understood that various other modifications may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of ourinvention as comprehended by the following claims.

We claim:

1. Record filing means comprising at least one circular record filemounted for rotation in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, afixed cylindrical concentric stand disposed therebelow, at least oneauxiliary desk extending radially therefrom, means supporting the outerend portion of said desk, and means on the inner end portion of saiddesk separably engaged with means extending about and carried by saidstand releasably clamping and supporting said inner end portion in adesired random location thereabout.

2. Record filing means comprising at least one circular record filemounted for rotation in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, afixed cylindrical concentric stand disposed therebelow, at least oneauxiliary desk extending radially therefrom, means supporting the outerend portion of said desk, and means comprising a spaced pair of bracketson the inner end portion of said desk separably engaged with flangedring means extending about and carried by said stand.

3. Record filing means comprising at least one circular record filemounted for rotation in a horizontal plane about a vetrical axis, afixed cylindrical concentric stand disposed therebelow, at least oneauxiliary desk extending radially therefrom, means supporting the outerend portion of said desk, means for releasably clamping and supportingthe inner end portion of said desk in random location about saidcircular record file comprising a spaced pair of angular bracketscarried by and adjacent the top of said desk, outwardly opensubstantially cross-sectional C-shaped ring means extending about andfixedly carried by said stand, internally threaded clamp bars slidablyretained in said ring means, and screw means carried by said bracketsand extending through apertures formed in the outer end thereof intosaid threaded clamp bars.

4. Record filing means comprising at least one circular record filemounted for rotation in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, afixed cylindrical concentric stand disposed therebelow, at least oneauxiliary desk extending radially therefrom, means supporting the outerend por' tion of said desk, means for releasably clamping and supportingthe inner end portion of said desk in random location about and beneaththe plane of said circular rotatable record file comprising outwardlyopen substantially cross-sectional C-shaped ring means extending aboutand fixedly secured to said stand, internally threaded clamp bar meansslidably retained in said ring, a spaced pair of substantially U-shapedmembers embracing said ring and secured to brackets carried beneath thetop of and by said desk, and screw means carried by said-brackets and U-shaped members and extending through apertures formed therein and intosaid threaded clamp bars.

5. Record filing means comprising at least one circular record filemounted for rotation in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, afixed cylindrical concentric stand disposed therebelow, at least oneauxiliary desk extending radially therefrom, means supporting the outerend portion of said desk, means for releasably clamping and supportingthe inner end portion of said desk in random location about and beneaththe plane of said circular rotatable record file comprising outwardlyopen substantially cross sectional C-shaped ring means extending aboutand fixedly secured to said stand defined by a pair of spaced parallelflanged rings extending beyond the cylindrical surface thereof withtheir flanges projecting toward each other, internally threaded clampbar means slidably retained in said ring, a spaced pair of substantiallyU-shaped members embracing said ring secured to oppositely outwardlyinclined outer terminals of angular brackets, means adjustably securingthe innerends of said angular brackets to spaced support arms carriedbeneath the top of and by said desk, and screw means carried by saidbrackets and U-shaped members and extending through apertures formedtherein and into said threaded clamp bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,576,802 Alfrey Mar. 16, 1926 2,233,003 Epps Feb. 25, 1941 2,351,610Hamberg June 20, 1944 2,558,596 Wassell June 26, 1951 2,970,874Honeycutt Feb. 7, 1961

1. RECORD FILING MEANS COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE CIRCULAR RECORD FILEMOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, AFIXED CYLINDRICAL CONCENTRIC STAND DISPOSED THEREBELOW, AT LEAST ONEAUXILIARY DESK EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM, MEANS SUPPORTING THE OUTEREND PORTION OF SAID DESK, AND MEANS ON THE INNER END PORTION OF SAIDDESK SEPARABLY ENGAGED WITH MEANS EXTENDING ABOUT AND CARRIED BY SAIDSTAND RELEASABLY CLAMPING AND SUPPORTING SAID INNER END PORTION IN ADESIRED RANDOM LOCATION THEREABOUT.